Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-19

4 tnficc us present length. Wnen nrSt came mere
the intense cold thought would soon prove fatal.
But very soon that part OF me which was percep-
tive OF the cold passed out OF existence for me.
Even the sharp winds, which perpetually sweep
this summit, do not infiict upon me any sensation
of codneSs OF discomfort. strangely enough IL Is
now impossible for me TO live except at this ex-
| IRENE height. am now often permitted to go
part way down the mountain, but soon sense OF
sunocation comes upon me and am forced to re-
| ..The kind Of sustenance which keeps me In life
am not permitted to speak OF.
"My interest in those love is still unchanged,
and am permitted to know what comes to them
| though they have no knowledge Of me since the
! shadowy ones brought me here. know nothing
| OF their future or mine; that is hidden from me
only know the past, and that. sinceit has brought
! SO much of good tony wife and daughters,I would
not change II could"
Others contained simple, uninteresting notes Ac-
cording 70 them this remarkable mans life was
years at least. How much longer we could not
tell OF course we could only judge by the records
Every nfty years new scrap OF parchment was
| dred years before We found it.
The last scrap contained these words: ''My
| family is gradually branching and increasing.
Best OF all, my name is being kept from oblivion
The world still remembers me. My vitality Is now
running low: Old age, which in the lower world
would nave felt more than two hundred years
ago, Is now coming upon me. 1t is doubtful If
shall ever add another one to this record. Since
being discovered, doubt If any one will ever ind
IL. Ii at last it is found and my name is still re-
membered, i leave 1t TO the finder to judge
whether that which have written merits telling
| to the world which once knew and hOnOred me-"
"The vase In which / seal these parchmentS
| and the parchments themselves, were left here by
the hermit who lived in this cave before me. /
shall seal this vase and secure 1t in niche In
! rock in the mountain below me, where some day
| IL may arrest some human eye"
Jacques, when We had finished reading. was
determined TO make the ascent OF the mountain at
all hazards, find the cave of which the parchmends
told US, and see what we could ind there. IL re-
qu1red all the persuasion there was in Henri and
| TO dissuade Jacques from this purpose.
IL dsZed me- II was the first time in my Whole
! life that had regarded anything gravely. But
| the vase and the parchmentS subdued and quieted
me- 1 felt an 1ncomprehensible interest In the
whole matter.
| Henri took but one view OF the matter; to him
| the whole thing was hoax He said that the
ago. had induced some lover OF sensation to perpe
| trate this thing, as On imposition upon whoever
| might run across the vase i'll the niche.
To this, OF course, Jacques would not listen. He
was thoroughly convinced that the alleged Ferahk1
parchmentS We're genuine.
Because OF the doubts entertained by Henri,
Jacques decided that it would not be wise to an
n0unee our discovery. A few days afterward we
went TO Calcutta, Taking our treasures with US
The parchmentS were shown privately to some
SayantS, who declared them genuine. Not until
then were Henri'S doubts removed, and he then
declared that Ferahki was insane.
After short stay in Calcutta, Henri and
Jacques returned to Paris, leaving me behind for
reasons OF my own. The vase and parchments
were also lett with me. When they were gone l
went to considerable trouble To obtain all acceSSf
Die Information concerning Ferahk1. OF course
there was nothing to be found which had any
bearing on the spiritual contents OF the parch-
mentS and scientists could not speak adVtSedly OF
the effect OF high attitudes in the matter OF pro-
longing nfe but both history and tradition seemed
to confederate the rest OF the supposed Ferahki
writings.
Every one who saw the parchments commented
on one point; that was the peculiarly graceful
form OF the Sanskrt writing. This was mentioned
and reiterated until a most profound impression
was, by it, made upon me. 1 thought that /, at
least, would be fully convinced that there was no
hoax about the parchments, II l only could find
some other piece OF FerahHs writing. But my
every effort In this direction resulted In failure.
Al last some impulse, more or less unaccounta-
bic, caused me TO go back again to the Vale OF
me that decided to make it my home for a time
1t was delightful and poetic spot and each
hour spent there increased its destinations for
me. Besides the cultured natives, there were,
also, many Europeans in the pretty little place,
who found IL as charming as 1 did. One thing
here pleased me especially wen. There was no
one, among them all, who had heard even the
mereSt whisper OF the Ferahki parchments and
this was great relief to me, since for the last
month had heard nothing else talked of.
Late one afternoon as was passing beautiful
grove, which had as a central ornament deep,
clear lovely pool, ! heard ripple Of giriish
out thinking entered the grove and approached
the margin OF the pool.
The memory OF what I then saw will never
leave me. 1t was vision so rare and holy that
but few are ever favored with ii. and none more
than once in a lifetime. A girl Of eighteen or
| manhood when it is first fun, complete and ripe
was bathing In the pool There was enough
hindu blood In her to accord to her that matchless
grace OF outline which is the lot Of any Eu-
rOpean women; but some European blood prepOn-
| derated-EngliSh, l thought.
For half an hour she gambOlled in the pool, and
| then, throwing her loose garments on carelessly
and with the most perfect air OF inconsistencies
ever knew, she walked slowly away.
Following closely in her wake found out her
home it was with an English family which was
said to have several times interfnarried with high
them was easy enough, and found that the beau
tiful girl who had so enraptured me had as many
graces of mind as she had OF person.
As often as possible was with her, and soon we
became almost tnSeparable companions / was
madly in love with her. almost from the first and
took no pains to conceal 1t. Her family seemed
deeply gratfed by my attentions, and She herself
was far from indifferent. Every night she used to
figure in my dreams, and one night, with her, the
Ferahki parchmentS were hOpeleSSly confused The
dream ended by the sudden appearance OF old
FerahN himself. who took the girls hand placed it
| in mine, and then vanished.
The next morning Ferahkf and the girl filled
about equal shares in my thoughts. II was the
| first time had given him thought for weeks
That evening, Ia some way, scarcely know how,
| the conversation turned upon Sanskrit writings,
| and the girl said that she had some rare
| specimens which she would show me If was inter-
] eSted begged her TO do so; and she Immediately
| brought me several ancient parchments, all of
| which had some bearing upon her famlly-or the
! Hindu part OF It,
/ Iexamined them with degree OF Indifference.
| which did not bear me out In the interest had
| eyinced, and she was somewhat disappointed:
when all at once, my attention was Invited upon
one bit OF parchment, which fascinated me as q
snake-charMer faScinateS snake. It was done in
that peculiarly graceful form OF Sanskrit charac-
tiers which had won such comment for the parch-
ments had found in the vase, in the rOcI-niche,
way up in the HimalayaS
| 'FelahkiI" exclaimed.
| ayes, Ferahki," she assented, 'but what do you
know OF him."
"Everything,"I answered; and then told her
| the Whole story. She WAS very much agitated,
and expressed the Strangest desire to see the vase
and its remarkable contents. went and got 1t at
once, and was intensely surprised to note the
trembling OF her hands as she examined the ancient
relics.
NOW, read this" she said, handing me own her
bit OF the Ferahki parchment.
III was a letter 10 his wife. 1t told her of the
man and woman whose souls had undergone trans
position through his Intervention with the occult
powers And 1t also informed her that the gold
which accompanied the letter was that which he
had received for doing this forbidden deed There
was also in IT an intimation that some AWFUL pun
lshment might befall him for breaking this fore
! most OF all laws.
SIS IL not cOrroboration OF your parchments?r
she demanded, when had done reading sDOes
not The one sustain and support the other?"
! Yes said, but how came you by this?v
III has been handed down to us, from genera.
tioh TO generation, ever since Ferahki'S day. Tht
| Thousand years since then"
and you are OF his family?" asked.
lie was my ancestor" she answered, proudly
she mas now been my wife for twenty years ant
as look upon our chidren-herS and mine-i otter
nope tnat some one OF them may have the hardi
nood 10 brave the perilS OF that awful summit anC
SEE II any trace OF their famous ancestor still